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Nevada
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Nevada State Parks

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USA Parks
Nevada
Pioneer Territory Region
Echo Canyon State Park
Echo Canyon State Park © Sascha BrA?ck~commonswiki / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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ECHO CANYON STATE PARK
ECHO CANYON STATE PARK
State Routes 322
Pioche, Nevada   89043
(lat:37.911 lon:-114.2673) map location

Phone: 775-962-5103
Email: park email button icon
Showcasing the beauty of Eastern Nevada, Echo Canyon State Park offers year-round opportunities to enjoy a variety of great outdoor activities. The 65-acre reservoir presents the perfect place for boating and swimming and is home to a variety of waterfowl, including mallards, teals and herons. Fishermen enjoy a lake filled with rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie and an occasional German brown trout. Campers and hikers can also enjoy the eagles, hawks, songbirds, owls and vultures that soar through the canyons and valleys. Common animals include cottontails, coyotes, deer and an occasional bobcat.
History of the Area
Thousand year old pictographs, stone flakes and pottery represent the legacy of a people called the Fremont. Evidence suggests that the Fremont used these lands for hunting and gathering, but the lack of permanent housing structures indicates that they occupied the land only seasonally, probably moving to a more temperate climate in the winter months.

Fremont pottery is a thin-walled grayware classified by both the technique used to harden the clay and the type or lack of decoration. One such pot, found near the steel bridge, has been identified as Snake Valley pottery and confirms the presence of Fremont in the area from around 900 to 1100 C.E. This pot is on display in the visitor center at the entrance to Cathedral Gorge State Park in the town of Panaca.

Called to settle Lincoln County in early 1860, the Mormon Church sent pioneers to Lincoln County to establish a trade route for settlers and supplies. In 1873 a small group of people worked a small smelter and mill in what was then called Moodyville, fairly close to what is now Echo Canyon State Park. In 1873 a severe wind storm destroyed the camp and nothing remains of the site.

The first permanent settlers in this area were farmers and ranchers who came to Dry Valley in the late 1870s.

In 1969-1970, Lincoln County built Echo Dam for water storage and flood control, with a side benefit of water-based recreation. With the completion of the campground and group use area, the Division of State Parks assumed operation in 1970. Today the 65-acre reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout with other species like largemouth bass and crappie.
Camping
The north campground has 33 campsites open on a first-come, first-served basis. Drinking water is available near each site. The RV campground has 20 full hook-up sites situated on a hill overlooking Dry Valley. Campground facilities include flush toilets and an RV dump station. A camping limit of 14 days in a 30-day period is enforced.
Swimming
1. Echo Canyon State Park offers a 65-acre reservoir for swimming.
2. The water is typically warm, ideal for summer swims.
3. Swimming areas are not designated or supervised by lifeguards.
4. Visitors can swim anywhere in the lake except boat launch areas and docks.
5. Inflatable devices like rafts and tubes are allowed on the water surface while swimming.

Boating
The boat launch ramp is located on the north shore of the reservoir. When the reservoir level drops during the summer, boats must be launched from shore.
Fishing
Anglers can enjoy year-round fishing in a 65-acre reservoir. Rainbow trout, largemouth bass and crappie are the main catches.


Location
Echo Canyon State Park is

Picnicking
Echo Canyon State Park offers picnic areas with tables and grills, perfect for family outings. Restrooms are also available nearby.
Trails
The Ash Canyon trail leads into the parks backcountry. The 2.5-mile trail begins in the upper campground, climbs 300 feet in 1/3 of a mile to the valley rim, and then descends into the dramatic steep-sided walls of Ash Canyon. It joins the highway in Rose Valley near the eastern park entrance and returns to the campground via the paved road through Echo Canyon.
Birding
Birdwatchers can spot various species including waterfowl, wading birds and raptors. The park's reservoir attracts migratory birds too.

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Nevada State Parks

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